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“How To Use Pinterest For Marketing”

Since the launch of the website I’ve had many friends ask me how to use Pinterest. Most of them being other Internet marketers and some just regular people. And I must say, it is a great site for wasting time on the Internet, but can it actually help you live better?

But first, what is Pinterest? It’s a virtual pinboard. I tend to compare it to a binder that you would otherwise keep at your house to store articles, pictures, and other awesome stuff. Instead of a real one though, with full-out pages, it’s all virtual. What’s this mean for the hoarders out there? Less clutter. The perfect tool for a simpleton.

Pinterest Popularity: The Algorithm Behind It

Pinterest is all about the sharing of ideas. Like every other social network in the game, there is a science behind gaining traction on Pinterest. You have to learn how to get your pinned work higher up in the categories. There are many ways of doing this so what I’m about to share with you is no way considered cheating the Pinterest site, but, it will give your content the best chance possible to making it on the popular board.

Once you have submitted everything, it gets placed onto the top of the specific category pages. The topping of these pages will ensure your work goes viral on the site. Consider these category pages your springboard before hitting the main one. Now you don’t need an established account in order to get higher, but there are some elements that will block your attempts. All of your submissions will be placed in the category pages assuming that it doesn’t break any guideline rules.

For marketing purposes, one should know how Pinterest actually functions. It seems that in an effort to fight spammers, the site has limited every user to upload just one piece of content per hour (on the category pages). Because of that, and with the online campaigns that I’ve run using the site, I’ve instructed my clients to hold off on the pinning for about three hours prior to us actually deciding to go for a content push.

Also, if you’ve hosted pieces of content on Imgur, then get ready to be rejected. Anything hosted there will not make it to the categories page. We assume that this is just a manuever to separate themselves from Reddit, which is kind of ridiculous, if you think about it. No explanation has come out for this block so be cautious about rehosting content on your personal site or blog.

Lastly, make sure that you include your URL when pinning and implementing all of these strategies. For some reason, this has bypassed many people. Similarly, don’t forget to also include the name and prices of your products in the description box, as well as your main keywords, since it helps in the context of search engine optimization.

Timing The Submission

As with every online network, there’s usually a specific point in time when you can submit content and boost your chances of reaching the front pages. You don’t want to do it when the site is getting bombarded by other people. Pinterest is no exception. If you run analytics, you can see that the users are more active during different times of the day. So you want to go when the competition is low.

Now what time have us Internet marketers found that works most effective? With Pinterest, the times are between 5 to 7 AM and 5 to 7 PM eastern time. A large portion of these users are doing their morning online routine or just getting off work. Ideally, you’d then want to submit your work at least one hour beforehand. Listen to this advice if you truly want to reach your target audience and get visibility at the same time.

Make Sure What You Post is “Pinteresting”

What do I mean? Well, you should know what your customers and fans are looking for, and then create boards accordingly. Inspirational and eye-popping images end up going a long ways on this site.

“Create boards that fit with the lifestyle that your customers want – and pin lots of images that fit that lifestyle, not just your own products and images,” says Amanda Cook, director of VSF Wellness.

Also, by creating boards that are about the interests of those using your brand, as opposed to just your products, they will see that you understand them, and they really appreciate that. So use the Pinterest site to the best of your ability. Use some of the key points here in this article. And remember to repin other people’s content in the community. Continued engagement plays a big part in how successful your marketing plan goes.